In Your Arms
by lydiarmarks
Summary: Victoria runs out of suppressants and doesn't have any for her next heat which comes a few days early. This, as you can guess, makes life very inconvenient and poor Max is stuck trying to help a particularly pushy Victoria from doing something stupid. Oh and Kate and Chloe are there and they're hella cute.
1. Chapter 1

Victoria's POV

"But Daguerre wasn't the only person working on trying to turn photography into something more than a miracle of science," the new photography teacher droned on. He'd taken over for Jefferson after the police found out about some shady practices that he'd had been using. According to what little information I could get out of my mom after she'd had a couple glasses of wine, he'd been kidnapping girls and sedating them for days so he could take pictures of them or something. Fucking creep, if you ask me. But since he wasn't around to impress anymore, it was even harder to focus on this redundant class than it had been before. At least Jefferson had been a real photographer, someone who'd managed to make something of himself in what was one of the most cutthroat industries of all time. I mean, he was a fucking psychopath and a perv, but still. At least he had real, helpful things to tell me instead of repeating the first six chapters of the textbook.

But, despite my annoyance, I sat quietly at my desk, even holding back a sigh of irritation when he started going over how the idea of photography had actually been in the works for thousands of years, blah, blah, blah. I tapped my pen against my notebook, staring blankly out the window that Christian chick always sat in front of. She was sitting at a different table today, though, so I didn't have to give her a death glare when she made eye contact with me while I watched the sun move across the sky at a snail's pace.

One of the other nice things about staring out the window was that I could see Caulfield out of the corner of my eye. She always caught my attention for some reason, there was something strange about her. It was almost like she was hiding something about herself from the rest of the world around her and I kind of wanted to know what it was.

Ok, I _really_ wanted to know what it was, but there was no way in hell that I'd ever admit that to anyone, ever.

Almost like she had read my mind about how boring this class had gotten, Max groaned to herself, letting her head fall onto her desk with a thunk. I wasn't sure why, but that groan sent a tingling sensation down my spine and I had to fight to keep my body from reacting. Suddenly feeling warm, I resisted the urge to shrug off my cashmere, even though I could feel the sweat at the small of my back causing my clothes to stick to my body. I spared her a momentary glance, seeing that she was just resting her head on her notebook, but it didn't look comfortable. It was a silly, childlike reaction to her impatience, even if I understood where it was coming from. This class was so boring that I would've slammed my head down on my desk too if it wouldn't make me look like a freak. I rolled my eyes, turning around in my chair so that I was facing the teacher again as he spoke, trying to ignore the way the classroom had just gotten a little too warm to be comfortable. He was an older man, his hair graying and thin as he pushed his thin framed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. It wasn't that he was a boring person, there's no way I could possibly know that from the few conversations I'd had with him. In fact, he's seemed just as passionate about photography of Jefferson, though he lacked the intensity that had drawn everyone to Jefferson's class to begin with. And to make it all worse, he wasn't even half as interesting as Max was in that moment. He seemed to notice this, because he paused, clearing his throat.

"Um, Maxine," he said, causing Max to lift her head from her notebook. When she saw that everyone was staring at her, she sat up completely, shrinking back against her chair as she swallowed. I couldn't help wishing I could feel the small thump of her pulsepoint against my lips as I watched her throat bob.

The thought made me grip onto my pen so tightly that the plastic gave a desperate, quiet crack in my fingers. No one seemed to notice since Max had spoken at that same moment.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up at the teacher with those big doe eyes and stupid freckles. Fuck, I hated those goddamn freckles.

 _Victoria, snap out of it_ , I thought to myself, sitting up a little straighter as I shook my head to clear it. _What the hell is wrong with me today?_ I was usually a perfect example of ignorance to Max Caulfield's existence. Or, I was outwardly, anyway. It was just something about her, she was so different from everyone else, so much more interesting than the history of photography could ever be to me. Why would I care about the history of photography if people Max and I were supposed to be the future of it? It wasn't just that she somehow managed to be my main competition for first in this very class, but something about her scent was even different than everyone else's. It was almost impossible for anyone to tell what sex she was. Some people said she was probably a beta and that's why some people like Warren had managed to fall for her. Others insisted that she was an omega because of how quiet she was and how easily she seemed to submit to everyone else and never seemed to compete for other omegas when they went into heat while they were on campus. But a few whispered that she was actually an alpha, even though it was a ridiculous thought.

But the idea somehow managed to send a shiver through me, regardless of how far fetched it seemed. Images flashed through my head before I could stop them, causing my insides to go practically molten. Just the idea of Max being an alpha did something to me I couldn't explain, something that no other alpha had ever done to me. Maybe that was partly because of the suppressants my parents sent me for my heats. They were just pills, but they did wonders and were probably the most expensive brand on the market. Not only did they suppress the scent an omega gave off during their heat, but it could also lessen the hormonal effects so I wouldn't be one of those crazy omegas who just went out and had sex with whoever could satisfy their body at the time. I had never really had the chance to be that person in the first place since my parents had immediately put me into isolation during my first heat and had given me suppressants ever since. I was thankful for it, honestly. The last thing I needed was to accidently get pregnant to mate with someone when I was trying to make my way in this world first. Plus, you couldn't really get attached to anyone who wasn't in the same economic class since it often caused disagreements. Especially in more well off families like mine. If anything, my parents would have me mate with Nathan to keep the peace with the Prescotts. But part of me knew that the suppressants weren't the only thing that made everyone except Max disappear from sight within the sea of pheromones that Blackwell had become.

The sound of the bell ringing broke me from my trance. I must have spaced out for awhile there. Or maybe class had been about to end when I did space out. Whatever. Taylor was talking to me about the upcoming Vortex party while I was putting my notebook in my bag when I felt something warm and solid run right into me. My notebook fell from my hand and slammed onto the floor. I bristled, starting to yell at whoever it had been that run into me.

"Watch where you're going you moron…" My voice trailed off when I came face to face with those stupid blue eyes that had sent me spiralling into a world of daydreams in the first place, but they were staring blankly at me, like they barely saw me. Her scent wasn't as overwhelming as I had thought it would be up close. And man were we close. She was practically pressed up against me before she took a step back to lean down and pick up my notebook. She stood up again, holding it out to me with a tired smile.

"Sorry, Victoria, I was looking at my phone," she explained. Swallowing dryly, I tried to ignored the way my heart thundered against my ribs just from the fact that she was smiling at me.

"Jesus, Smallfield, are you high or something?" Taylor cut in, glaring down at the smaller girl. Max looked away, acting weirdly submissive considering Taylor was a beta. When Max just shrugged, I rolled my eyes, scoffing to hide how dry my mouth had gotten.

"Yeah, and keep your stupid hipster hands off of my stuff," I snapped, snatching the notebook from her fingers. She sighed, murmuring a quiet "whatever" as she walked past me and out the door. I watched her go, my stomach tightening as I remembered the way her features had gone from sleepy bliss to exhausted resignation. When she was out of my line of sight, I looked down at my notebook, shoving it into my bag before looking up at Taylor to see her eyebrows raised in suspicion. I rolled my eyes and turned to walk out of the class. "Come on, we have to study and get ready for the party on Friday night." We walked out into the hallway, Taylor close behind me as we walked past a group of alpha jocks, their stench making me want to crinkle my nose in disgust.

"Are you sick or something?" Taylor asked me after a minute of awkward silence. I threw her a glare as we kept walking.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" I asked, letting my irritation seep into my voice.

"You were just… staring at her," she replied and my stomach sank when realization hit me, but I kept standing tall and kept my steps brisk, looking away from her as I raised my nose in the air.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, walking out of the main building to head towards the dorms.

"Seriously, Vic?" Taylor was walking right beside me, looking at me with a tinge of frustration and concern in her eyes. "You looked like she'd just asked you what color your underwear was or something." I felt my cheeks heat up at the idea, but I stayed firm, keeping my eyes ahead.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Taylor sighed at my reply, shaking her head.

"Vic, really, I'm not blind," she said, making me pause. When I hesitated, she kept talking, grinning a little, ignoring the sideways glare I threw at her. "You're totally thirsty for Max, Vic. Everyone knows you want in on that Maxine Mystery meal." I whirled around, my hands balled into fists at my sides as I stared her down.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I snapped, my embarrassment turning to anger when she chuckled and didn't back down, taking a step into my personal space. I shouldn't have been surprised, Taylor knew I wouldn't do anything to her if she continued to tease me, but that only made me more pissed off. The worst thing I'd ever do to Taylor is not talk to her for a few hours. She was my best friend for fuck's sake, I couldn't just ignore her for the rest of the year or make her life miserable. She was one of the only people who knew more about me than most and was still willing to put up with me.

"Come on, we both know that you wanna ride the Max mobile," she said teasingly, grinning down at me. Curse the universe for making her taller than me.

"Says who?" But the idea was already causing chaos in my head, images of Max lying beneath me, completely naked as I - _No, stop that right fucking now, you moron!_

"Says the way you started drooling over her like a month and a half ago," Taylor replied, pulling me, gratefully, from my thoughts. I rolled my eyes, forcing my muscles to loosen in my shoulders as I turned away from Taylor and walked into the dorms.

"You must be delusional," I retorted lamely, hearing her follow me down the hall to my dorm. "Because Victoria Chase doesn't drool over _anyone._ Especially nasty hipster trash like Max Caulfield." But something in me pulsed at the sound of her name, the way it felt as it passed between my lips.

"If you say so," was all Taylor said as we reached my room. I opened the door and she followed me in, setting her bag down on my couch before plopping herself down beside it. "So, do we really need to study or can we just watch some TV?" I rolled my eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day, closing my door before walking over to my desk and collapsing into the office chair in front of my computer.

"Some of us actually care about their grades, so yes, we're actually going to study," I said, pulling notecards out of my bag. It was quite the hefty stack of cards and looking at it made the small headache growing against the back of my skull throb in protest.

"You can't be serious," Taylor whined, looking over at the cards in my hand. "I've helped you study those damn things at least five times over the past three days. If you haven't learned it all by now, you never will." I scowled at her, walking over to the couch to stand in front of her, holding the cards out to her.

"You know chemistry isn't my best subject and I really need to pass this next test if I want my car around for the rest of the year," I said, giving her the best pleading look I could. "Please? You know that my parents have already threatened to take it away twice for getting B minuses on the last two tests. If I don't keep my grades up, they take my car and then you and Courtney and I are stuck in this shithole unless we want to bum a ride from someone else." Taylor sighed, taking the cards from me before leaning back and staring at them ruefully.

"If you wanna pass so bad, why don't you ask that weird science geek to help you?" She grumbled.

"Who? That freak who follows Max around like a lost puppy?" I had to stop myself from letting a scowl crawl onto my face as I crossed my arms over my chest. "He's a creep. Why would I ask him for help?" When I looked down at Taylor again, she was smirking at me. "What?" I snapped, but she only laughed and shrugged.

"Nothing," she insisted. "It just seems like you hold quite a bit of resentment for someone who doesn't even pay attention to you." I scoffed, running my fingers through my hair before sitting down on the couch next to Taylor.

"I'm not resentful," I mumbled, trying and failing to sit up straight.

"Oh, please," Taylor laughed, summoning another one of my death glares her way. "You are so fucking jealous."

"Why the fuck would I be jealous of that weirdo?" I snarled defensively, but that just made Taylor laugh harder.

"Maybe because Warren totally wants her dick and you're just as thirsty as he is, you're just too uptight to admit it," she explained, only making me bristle.

"I am so not uptight," I protested, trying to ignore the twinge of disgust I felt in the pit of my stomach when I thought about Warren wanting to sleep with Max. No one even knew if she wanted to sleep with anyone. Plus, I didn't like the idea of Max sleeping with anyone in the first place. Especially Warren. He was a creep.

"You're so strung up that you'd cut a person in half if you snapped," Taylor teased, but her gaze had gone soft as she spoke, watching me carefully. "Oh, come on, don't look so crestfallen."

"How do you even know what that word means?" I grumbled, sinking further into the sofa. She just chuckled and criss-crossed her legs before turning to face me.

"You underestimate me," she teased, showing me a card that said acculturation in my own handwriting. She smiled at me from behind the card. "Now what's the definition of this one?"

"The process by which a culture is transformed due to the massive adoption of cultural traits from another society," I said with a sigh, my mind wondering a little as Taylor asked me questions about the stuff on the other side of the card. I got it all right on my first try, which was surprising since I wasn't thinking about cultural anthropology at all. Max was still on my mind, smiling drowsily and apologizing for running into me, her deep blue eyes shimmering with flecks of silver as she looked at me. I wondered if I made her as confused as she made me. At least she knew things about me. All I knew about her was that she was a mystery to everyone and too talented for her own good. Not to mention that she was even less motivated than Taylor when it came to school. I seriously doubted that she was studying for the test that we were supposed to be taking tomorrow, or the English quiz, or that she'd even started her math homework.

"Do you think Max is an omega?" I asked. It was supposed to just be a thought to myself, but it must've slipped through my filter when I wasn't looking. When Taylor didn't answer, I looked up, seeing a confused look on her face.

"What?" She asked, lowering the card in her hand. "I don't know, why?" I felt my entire face heat up and had to look away to keep what was left of my dignity intact.

"I don't know, it's just weird that no one seems to know," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest again. "And she doesn't even broadcast any pheromones or get into fights like alphas and she seems much more submissive than a beta. But I seriously doubt that her parents would be able to afford suppressants and she's never had a heat at school. Isn't it just a little suspicious?" I hadn't noticed that I was ranting until I looked back at Taylor, her features tight with a grin that she was barely holding back.

"Why don't you just ask her if you're so curious?" She suggested. I knew she was baiting me into snapping at her again, but I ignored it, scoffing and rolling my eyes.

"It's not like I'm obsessed, I can live without knowing the answer," I replied indignantly. "It's just weird. We know what everyone else's status is, she's the only unknown in the whole school."

"Oh my god, you are so fucking obsessed," Taylor practically squealed, pressing the notecards into the couch cushion beneath her to balance herself as she leaned towards me, getting into my personal space. Her scent had never gotten to me, not even when she teased me like this, but there was something about the triumph it contained in that moment that got to me a little.

"Am not!" I snapped, a growl escaping me before I could stop it. She backed down, but her grin never faltered.

"What's the matter with you today, anyway?" She asked, setting the cards aside before looking at me again, her features only tensing in concern for a moment. "Are you about to go into heat or something?"

"No, of course not," I said, getting to my feet and opening my phone to look at my calendar before showing it to Taylor. "See? It's not supposed to start until Saturday."

"Isn't it possible to start a few days early?" She asked, her brows furrowed in legitimate concern this time as she got to her feet. Slight panic prodded at the back of my mind, throbbing with the headache that had only just begun to fade a moment ago.

"No," I insisted, but it was a little breathless. It was possible for an omega to go into heat early, but that had never happened to me before and I hadn't taken any suppressants since my last heat. Hell, I had even managed to run out that time. "Oh no." I flopped down on my bed, staring blankly at the floor.

"What?" Taylor asked, going to sit down next to me.

"I ran out of pills a few months ago and totally forgot to get more."

"Why don't you just call your parents?" Taylor asked, sitting beside me, but leaving space between us. "I'm sure they'd bring you some."

"Are you kidding?" I laughed harshly, burying my face in my hands. "They'd sooner kill me for forgetting them in the first place. Not to mention they'd probably put me into isolation again." A shudder ran through me at the memory of what felt like an eternity in a small, dark room with only a bed, a toilet, a sink and a tiny hole in the door for people to shove food through. It was more like a prison cell than anything else. I had been so miserable the whole time. The insatiable emptiness I'd felt, the tears that stained my pillow when nothing I did for myself could make the pain go away. Then, when it was finally over, my mother greeted me like she hadn't just locked me away for three days straight, smiling down at me and telling me that what I'd just endured was a sign that I was ready to be a worthwhile omega when I was ready to finally mate with someone.

"What are you going to do?" Taylor asked, pulling me from my memories. Her scent was suddenly much more prominent than I was used to, making me shake a little before I got to my feet and walked to the other side of the room, my arms wrapped around myself. I couldn't look at her. I didn't want to see the hurt in her eyes.

"I just need to stay here and think for a little while," I told her, taking a deep breath before meeting her eyes again. She nodded, though I could see the way she was struggling with something beneath the surface. Taylor was a good person and my best friend, but she was still a beta and her instincts often won out over friendship when shit hit the fan and I would hate for our friendship to fall apart just because I was an idiot. A soon to be very hormonally driven idiot. "Alone." Taylor nodded again, getting to her feet and pausing for another moment before speaking.

"Just text me if you need anything, ok?" She said, giving me a smile that made my heart ache. I smiled tightly and nodded, watching Taylor grab her bag and leave me alone in my room. I sighed when she was gone, the room suddenly feeling lighter in her absence.

"This is going to suck," I said to the empty room, going to sit down at my desk. I decided to do some research, looking up ways to help me get through the next few days with limited shittiness involved. Luckily, I found that some people had come up with cheap and easy ways to lessen the scent of an omega's heat and even lessen the symptoms, but they were nothing compared the pills I'd been taking. The best thing I could find was herbal tea, but I didn't know anything about tea.

The idea hit me like a ton of bricks and I was on my feet and out my door before I could think twice about it. Within seconds, I was standing at Kate's door, knocking loudly so she'd hear me over her violin. The soft, slightly shrill sound stopped and there was shuffling behind the door before it opened. Kate's smile wavered when she laid her eyes on me, but it didn't go away completely.

"I'm sorry, Victoria," she said before I could speak, making herself look smaller before me. "Are we being too loud?" The we part of the question caught me off guard and I was looking over her shoulder before I could stop myself. Max and that blue haired alpha she was always hanging around were sitting on Kate's floor, both watching me with more intense interest than I was used to. I swallowed dryly, my core pulsing when I met Max's eyes. She smiled nervously at me, waving a little.

"Hey, it's Sticky Vicky," the blue haired girl greeted me, getting to her feet and walking up to stand behind Kate, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist in a way that seemed much more than just a friendly gesture. Looking at Kate, I wasn't surprised to see her blushing furiously. "Katie here was just showing us a piece she'd been working on. Didn't it sound amazing?" Kate was avoiding my gaze and I really didn't blame her. I had never been less then extremely unpleasant to her.

"We can be more quiet if we were disturbing your studying," Kate said sheepishly, leaning further against the blue haired alpha, like she was a lifeline or a barrier of protection against me. "I would hate to bother you."

"No, it's not that," I said, waving the comment away dismissively. "I was just…" I trailed off, looking up to see that Max had stood and was setting her guitar aside to come stand next to the other two girls. There was a strange flare of protectiveness in her eyes that I'd rarely seen before. It made my knees feel a little like jelly, but I kept myself standing as straight as I could. "I have a question. A tea question. I was wondering if you had any I could use." Kate's eyes seemed to light up with understanding almost immediately and I felt a mixture of embarrassment and relief wash over at the sight. At least I wouldn't have to spell anything out or try to explain myself.

"You always struck me as more of a coffee person," Max said, looking a little more relaxed. I rolled my eyes to keep myself from staring at her. This was probably the longest I'd stood near her and not said something nasty.

"I need it to help me stay calm while I study," I lied, crossing my arms over my chest. The alpha that had her arms around Kate smelled so strongly of alpha that I had to practically hold my breath against the way it had started to sting in my nostrils. It definitely explained her dominant attitude from what I knew of her.

"What are you studying for?" The taller girl asked, her blue hair poking out under her beanie as she looked down at me. She was definitely the tallest out of the four of us, but she wasn't all that scary to me. It was almost like she wasn't trying to show her dominance over me like most of the other alphas in the school did. Not that they ever succeeded, anyway.

"Who are you, anyway?" I asked, her name escaping me. She grinned, holding out her hand for me to shake.

"I'm Chloe," she said, her grin turning into a lopsided smile. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself before." I shook her hand, disengaging as quickly as I could.

"How did you know who I was?" I asked. It was a stupid question, really. Most people knew who I was. Whether it was because they hated me or not was a different story entirely.

"Maxaroni's told me about you," she replied, letting go of Kate who walked into her room and was rummaging through a drawer. I looked over at Max who had started blushing and now refused to look at me. Chloe smirked, looking from Max to me as she wrapped her arm around Max's shoulder. "She talks about you all th-" she was cut off by Max elbowing her harshly in the side, but she just laughed. "Jesus, Max. You have the boniest elbows of all time."

I was saved from having to say anything when Kate brought back a kettle and a small box of tea bags along with a colorful mug to her bed, putting them in a tote bag that was covered in little, cartoon bunnies before bringing the bag over to the door and holding it out to me. She smiled sweetly at me as I took the bag.

"The instructions are on the box, but if you have any questions, let me know," she said. I smiled as best I could, nodding to her.

"Thanks, I owe you," I replied, but the words were hard to say. I probably owed her for a lot more than some tea if I thought about it.

"No problem," she insisted, walking back into her room with Chloe close behind her. I turned and started walking back to my room, watching the ground as I tried to process what the hell had just happened.

"Hey, Victoria," Max called after me, walking up to me before stopping just in front of me, her eyes on the carpet that she was kicking with the front of her shoe. "Just, um, let me know if you need help with studying for the anthro test tomorrow. Warren helped me come up with a few things that helped me memorize the definitions and theories and all that stuff." She looked up at me sheepishly, rubbing her elbow through her hoodie. My face started to burn under her gaze and I had to look away, my heart thundering in my chest as her sweet, subtle scent filtered around me. It seemed strange, out of place, like she was hiding whatever it was that helped other identify her sex just from smelling her. But even though it was subtle, it made the warmth washing over me unbearable.

"Thanks, but I think I've got it," I said, turning to make it the rest of the way to my room. Hurrying to get into my room, I shut my door, leaning back against it. I closed my eyes, heaving a sigh to help me clear my head, but all I saw was Max. Her silly smile and sparkling eyes, her soothing voice filling my ears. I let my mind run away from me, wondering what her voice would sound like a few octaves lower, words breathed against my skin. Her fingers running over my body, her mouth laying claim to my skin with small red and purple marks, her teeth sinking sharply into the cord of my shoulder.

My eyes snapped open, my chest heaving as I stared into my empty room.

"I am so fucked."


	2. Chapter 2

Max's POV

After Kate had finished showing us her piece for music class, we all went out to dinner at the Two Whales. Chloe had breakfast for dinner as usual, much to Joyce's disgruntlement. But at least she was happy that Kate and Chloe were together now. It had only been a few weeks but the two were already acting like they'd been mated for years. Hell, they were barely able to keep their hands off each other while we were all in the same booth together. I had to kick Chloe under the table to stop her from crawling on top of Kate right then and there. We'd even had a few people staring at us, which was also something Joyce promised to talk to Chloe about when she got home.

I was really happy for them though, especially since it seemed to make them both happier than I'd seen either of them in a long time. Having to keep them from knotting every time they got the chance was a small price to pay for the way they barely stopped smiling at each other and laughing together. The only downside was that Chloe either stared off into space with a moony look in her eyes or looked like a kicked puppy every time we went somewhere and Kate couldn't come with us. I eventually had to tell her that we could include Kate in our usual hang outs if it would stop her from acting like a love sick weirdo. That had seemed to help a great deal in the end. Plus, I liked hanging out with Kate and all Chloe did was talk about her when she wasn't around anyway.

"So, are you going to ask Sticky Vicky out or not?" Chloe had asked me as she stuffed another forkful of pancake into her mouth. I groaned, letting my head fall against the table in front of me, causing the plates and silverware to rattle upon impact.

"Hey, no banging on the tables, Max," Joyce scolded me as she walked over with a fresh pot of coffee.

"Sorry, Joyce," I replied, sitting up in the booth and watching her fill my half empty mug with steaming coffee. I took the mug gratefully, thanking her as she walked away before taking a long swig. "And to answer your question, no, I am not going to ask Victoria out."

"Why not?" Chloe whined, said around the mouthful she'd been chewing.

"Because I don't want to," I said simply, but I must not have lied very well because even Kate started to giggle when Chloe laughed.

"Oh, yeah right," she said, sitting up in her seat before lowering her shoulders a little and widening her eyes as she horribly mimicked my voice. "You always struck me as more of a coffee person, Victoria. Oh, you're studying? I could totally come over and help you _study_. Too bad you guys aren't in anatomy class, then I could at least make body part jokes." I felt my ears heating up as she spoke, but I couldn't think of anything to say before Kate joined in.

"They're taking cultural anthropology, maybe Victoria wouldn't be opposed to you helping her discover culture of your body," she said with a wink that made me blush even harder. Such comments were not uncommon coming from sweet, innocent Kate nowadays. Chloe was definitely rubbing off on her.

"You guys are disgusting," I grumbled, taking another sip of coffee.

"Max and Victoria, sittin' in a tree," Chloe began, making Kate giggle. "K-i-s-s-i-n-g"

"We all know that Victoria wouldn't go anywhere near a tree," I countered, trying to distract from the way my face was burning at the idea of kissing Victoria. She probably had really soft lips. I shook my head, wrapping my cold fingers around my mug. "The sap might get all over skirt if she tried to climb it."

"Oh, because you totally wouldn't wanna get your sap all over he-" I interrupted her with another kick under the table and she jump, cursing loudly.

"Chloe, language!" Joyce called from across the diner.

"But Max kicked me!" She called back and I stifled a laugh.

"I don't care if she smacked you upside the head, you probably deserved it." Kate and I burst into laughter at that, but Chloe didn't seem even half as amused, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at me.

"You're such a bitch," she growled, but it hardly fazed me because I was still recovering from my laughter. Kate giggled, kissing Chloe's cheek.

"Awe, it's ok, I'll kiss it better," Kate said as she kissed Chloe soothingly. I feigned a gag, getting a glare from Chloe.

"You're just jelly 'cause your omega is back at Blackwell studying for a stupid test," Chloe teased, kissing Kate again with a giant grin on her face. I chewed my lip, trying to ignore the memory of the way Victoria had looked at me earlier before we left and the way she had stared at me that day in class. It was like she was at a loss for words or in some sort of trance. She had looked so nice in her new cashmere, even when she looked bored out of her mind in class. And the way she'd smelled when I accidentally bumped into her and when I had offered to help her study. God, it was unbearable and the thought sent a bolt of heat through my body.

 _Ok, maybe I'm a_ little _jealous._

"She's not my omega," I croaked, my throat going dry. When I came back down from my thoughts, I saw that Chloe and Kate were still connected by their lips, practically numb to the rest of the world. I crinkled my nose, grabbing an ice cube from the glass of water I hadn't touched and threw it at Chloe. It hit her shoulder and she jumped, the two separating before glaring at me. "Can you at least take me back to Blackwell before you two start trying to procreate?" Chloe groaned and the three of us made our way out to her truck. I made sure to leave enough money for dinner on the table before we left, knowing that Joyce would've argued with me if I'd handed her the money as we walked out.

The drive back to campus was nice. We sang along to some beat boppy song that I've never known the name of and laughed whenever we sang off key or missed a lyric. When we got back to Blackwell, we all walked back to the dorms together, but I went to my dorm while Kate and Chloe stayed in Kate's dorm. I resolved to listen to my music using headphones that night, just in case. Kate's room wasn't that far from mine and the walls in the dorms were thin as paper that'd been soaked in water.

I didn't realize that I had left my guitar in Kate's room until I reached toward its usual spot and found empty air. I frowned, debating whether the possibility of seeing those two totally naked and getting down to business was worth grabbing my guitar. I decided that it wasn't and that I should probably be studying or doing homework, anyways. I grabbed my anthropology textbook off of my desk and flopped down onto my couch, opening it to the chapter we had a test on the next day. I sighed, starting to read about something I had already decided that I didn't care about. I ended up reading and rereading the same sentence over and over again, my brain feeling sluggish and my eyelids feeling heavy. Apparently two cups of coffee was nowhere near enough to deal with the exhaustion that came over me every time I tried to do my homework. I closed the textbook and set it aside, getting up and putting on my pajamas. I decided to go with sweatpants since it was getting colder at night and I was absolutely unwilling to keep my window closed at night. After getting changed, I laid down in bed, setting my phone on my bedside table before looking at my clock to see that it was only 8:00pm.

"Whatever," I grumbled, deciding that sleeping was better than studying. I laid back in bed, closing my eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep. It'd be good to get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow, anyway.

* * *

"God, Max," Victoria gasped beside my ear, the sound causing a jolt of pure electricity to shoot through my body. I couldn't see what was happening, but I could feel her body pressed against me, her hands in my hair as she brought me in for a kiss so passionate that I thought I might pass out. My knees wobbled beneath me as she hand traveled down from my neck to my chest and over my stomach until she found what she was looking for. I groaned softly, the warmth of her hand causing me to twitch against her palm. I tried to open my eyes to see what she was doing, but my eyelids didn't seem keen on opening any time soon. "I never imagined you'd be this hard already." Her words made me whimper and my hips jerked without my permission, sending another pulse of pleasure through my entire body.

"I can't help it," I gasped out, grabbing for her hips out of instinct. "I can usually stop this. But when I think about you this way, it's the worst it's ever been." Victoria hummed her approval, giving my shaft a teasing squeeze. I had to bite down on my cheek to keep myself from letting out a growl. I felt her lips against my neck and then felt her breath against my ear as she spoke, the feeling sending shivers through me as I struggled to catch my breath.

"You're all mine, Maxine."

I woke with a start, my eyes flying open to reveal my empty dorm room. I looked down at my lap and groaned to myself, feeling my almost fully formed shaft pulse against the front of my underwear. Fuck my stupid subconscious for making Victoria seem sexy. I mean, she was sexy…

 _Dude, stop!_

I sat up in my bed, looking around for my phone as it vibrated noisily on top of my night stand. I picked it up, seeing several text messages from Victoria. I opened them, seeing about five from her on the newly formed thread.

 _Victoria: hey, i changed my mind_

 _Victoria: i need help studying, i cant focus_

 _Victoria: are you going 2 come over or not?_

 _Victoria: please, i really need your help with this_

 _Victoria: max caulfield, get your stupid hipster ass over here before i drag you over here_

I sighed as I read the messages, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as my phone vibrated with another text.

 _Victoria: im sorry, im just a little on edge_

I typed out my response, trying to ignore my little problem that had developed down south.

 _Me: its midnight_

 _Victoria: so you wont help me?_

I sighed, looking down at the extremely noticeable bulge pressing against the front of my sweatpants.

 _Victoria: fine, watever._

Oh, no, she was mad. I felt a stab of guilt in my chest and took a deep breath. I did say that I would help her study and I probably would've been awake at this point anyway if I hadn't fallen asleep. It was sort of ironic to think that I'd fallen asleep to avoid studying and was now waking up to go study.

 _Me: alright alright, ill be over in a minute. JEEZ :p_

 _Victoria: FINALLY!_

I laughed softly, shoving my phone in my pocket and looking down at my lap again. Maybe if I wore a really baggy sweatshirt she wouldn't notice? I stood, walking over to my closet, grabbing the biggest sweatshirt I had and pulling it on. To my relief, it was long enough to hide the issue I'd woken up with, but it didn't stop the throbbing I felt pulsing through it. Apparently out of sight doesn't always mean out of mind. I sighed, figuring that this was about as good as it wasn't gonna get for now. I had dealt with having erections before, especially when I was first going through puberty, but I had learned how to stop the shift when I was 15, which had helped in way too many situations. But I guess self control only worked when you were actually awake to use it. There was no real reasoning with your mind when it was in its own world of attractive, naked, bitchy mean girls.

Grabbing my bag off the floor, I slung it over my shoulder and walked out into the hallway. I didn't bother putting on shoes out of laziness, hoping that Victoria wouldn't ridicule me for wearing mismatched socks in her presence. Walking across the hall, I knocked on her door, surprised when she answered right away, pulling me into her room by my sleeve. I yelped in surprise, barely registering what was going on as Victoria slammed her door before turning to stare me down with the worst glare she had ever given me. I swallowed hard, wondering what she was going to do to me now that I was with her. In her room. Alone.

I took a breath in to speak, but the sweetest thing I had ever smelled filled my lungs before I could find the words I needed. My vision went hazy for a moment, warmth filling my guts until they were molten. My shaft twitch against my underwear and I gasped at the sensation, almost falling backwards against what I guessed was Victoria's desk. I clutched onto the desk behind me to balance myself, trying to pretend like I hadn't just almost passed out in front of Victoria Chase. When my vision cleared, I looked up to meet her burning green eyes from across the room, a whimper rising in my chest at the way she was staring at me. She looked like she was going to tackle me to the ground. I don't know what she would've done after that, but imaging it made it so much harder to find words in my already scrambled brain.

"Victoria, wha-" she took a few steps toward me, her stance and form as elegant as ever, but her eyes were burning with a desire and determination I'd never seen before, and it made every fiber of my being scream to take her up on whatever it was she was going to offer me. She pressed her finger to my lips, quieting me right when I had finally thought of something to say.

"Shut up," she growled lowly, causing the whimper I'd been holding back to escape into the air. "I have a question that I've been wanting to ask you for awhile now. It's been driving me insane since the day I met you. _You've_ been driving me crazy since the day I met you." My head was swimming and her words sounded like they were far away, like I was under water and she was at the surface. I barely registered her words until a long, silent moment after she said them.

"What are you talking about?" I sputtered, trying to ignore the pounding fullness I felt down south.

"What are you, Max?" She asked me, her eyes burning into mine so intensely that I was sure I'd burst into flames, but I couldn't look away. Hell, I couldn't even understand what she'd said.

"What do yo-" but she interrupted me, stepping so close to me that our bodies collided. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her mouth hung open a fraction, her breaths brushing against my lips because of how close we were. Her thigh was pressed lightly against my shaft and it rubbed against it when she moved away, lowering her hand from my lips down towards my chest. I caught her hand before it could get lower then my ribs, holding her wrist firm. "Please, don't," I breathed, my heart thudding against my ribs as Victoria all but overwhelmed me. I had worked so hard to keep my instincts under control, to keep myself from becoming the type of alpha that took whatever they wanted just because they could. The type of alpha who hurt the people who got in their way. That was what my instincts wanted and I had worked so hard for years to keep myself from becoming that kind of person. But here was Victoria, her eyes wide as she looked at me what I almost mistook as awe, like she was begging me to quench the arousal I could feel radiating from her.

"You're a… A..." she whispered, but I knew what she meant and I nodded, wishing that she would back up just a little. Her eyes flicked down to my lips, almost like she was considering leaning in and I tensed up even more, my muscles screaming at me for making them so tight. "Most people think you're an omega." I swallowed hard, nodding again. She looked into my eyes, her own half lidded as she leaned in, her lips brushing against mine tentatively. I gasped, but I couldn't pull away. Every instinct I had demanded me that I let her keep going, that I sated her heat and claimed her as my own, but I couldn't. It wasn't right.

But then her lips pressed a little more firmly against mine, and it felt… right. Like they belonged pressed to mine, like she belonged this close to me. I leaned against her, removing a cramping hand from her desk to place it on her hip. She hummed her approval, pressing her chest against mine along with the rest of her body. The fire in my gut only grew as she kissed me, hips pressed flush with mine. The part of me that had been protesting died down, growing silent as every inch of me was filled with warmth and adoration for a person that I had never dreamed of kissing. Well, I had dreamed about it, but I never thought it would actually happen. I let go of her hand, lacing my fingers in her soft, golden hair. Feeling her hands travel down my body brought my movements to a screaming halt. I pulled away and Victoria whined as if in protest.

"Can't," I said breathlessly. "You- we… you're in heat. You don't really want this." I could've sworn I saw hurt travel over Victoria's face before her features stiffened into angry angles.

"How could you possibly know what I want?" She snapped, but she was still trying to catch her breath so it wasn't as threatening as usual.

"I don't," I admitted, locking her gaze with mine as I removed my hand from her hip. "That's because you and I are so different that you can't even manage to be half decent to me on a good day." There it was, that hurt again, making her eyes watery as she pulled away from me.

"Then why did you even come over here in the first place?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest before looking over at me again. "You knew I was in heat and you came over here anyway to help me study." My brows furrowed as I pushed myself off her desk, taking a small step towards her.

"Victoria, I swear that I had no idea," I promised, wishing that I could say something, anything to make that look on her face go away or to make her stop crying. I might not have been her friend, but I definitely hadn't wanted to make her cry. "If I had known, I never would've come over here at all."

"Why? Because I'm the same as every other omega? Because I can't fucking control myself?" She was yelling now and it was much scarier than it should've been, but I didn't know what to do. So I just said what I was thinking.

"No, because I know that I'd be just as wrapped up in my instincts as you and we'd both regret it," I told her as calmly as I could. "Especially if we did it when you were like this." She paused, her anger fading into hurt again as she plopped down on her bed, burying her face in her hands.

"Whatever," she sniffled. I chewed my bottom lip, trying to decide what to do next. If I left her here alone, she might have thought that I hated her. If I stayed… Well, thinking about that definitely wouldn't make this situation any easier. I sighed, setting my bag down on her chair before walking over to her, slowly sitting down next to her on the bed, making sure to leave some space between us. "So why are you trying to keep your status a secret, anyway?" The change of subject caught me off guard, but it was better than her kissing me again.

"I'm not really trying to keep it a secret," I said softly, running my fingers through my hair.

"Then why doesn't anyone else know?" She asked. She was hunched over, staring at something far away, like she wasn't really thinking about what she was saying.

"Chloe and Kate know," I said, remembering how surprised Kate had been. "But other than them and my parents, I just didn't think about bringing it up."

"But you don't even smell like an alpha," she insisted, looking up at me with those wild green eyes again. "Not only that, but you don't really act like one either." I felt my cheeks growing hot under her gaze and I had to look away, the haze she'd put over me slowly returning.

"I don't want to act like other alphas," I said softly, keeping my eyes locked on the soft rug next to her bed. "Most of them act like they're better than everyone else." There was another pause and I almost got up and left, but Victoria started talking about.

"Sorry about kissing you," she mumbled. "I was just… surprised." I felt my ears start to burn along with my cheeks and laughed a little to hide my embarrassment.

"It's ok," I said with a small laugh. "Just try asking first next time." She looked up at me in surprise and what I said finally registered.

"Next time?" She whispered. I couldn't move for a moment, even though my mind was telling me to say something or leave or something, anything. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of staring into those burning green eyes, I decided that leaving was my best bet. So I got to my feet and walked out of Victoria's room without even saying goodbye. I just opened her door and ran across the hall, slamming my door shut behind me. I leaned back against my door, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to catch my breath. I hadn't run far at all, but Victoria's scent was still filling my lungs with every breath. I heard her door shut almost immediately and my heart rate slowed a fraction. At least if she kept her door shut there was less of a chance of other people finding out that her body was looking for a mate. Sinking to the floor, I let out a shaky sigh.

Things had been rocky between Victoria and I already, but I had a feeling that things were only about to get much worse.


	3. Chapter 3

Victoria's POV

I spent most of that night crying into my pillow, my arms wrapped around myself as I fought the urge to try and ease the emptiness in my core on my own. Masturbating would only make the scent of my heat stronger and it never really helped in the end. Even after three orgasms, all it did was hurt to come with no one inside me. Without Max…

I woke up the next morning and barely managed to get ready in time for my classes, having drank about three mugs of herbal tea and only looking half decent, I felt like total shit. This stupid heat thing sucked major ass. My classes went by in a blur and I got more stares than usual. Taylor was the only person who could withstand my irritation by that point. Luckily, none of the alphas or betas came anywhere near me. Everyone knew that the last thing I wanted was to mate with any of them.

But the one thing that really ruined my day while also making it ten times better was that Max and I had PE together that day. I considered myself to be one of the most athletic girls in the whole school, which was saying a lot considering I didn't actually play any sports. I mean, I used to play tennis and I did ballet for a few years when I was younger, but now I just went on runs and lifted weights sometimes. But mostly I ran and did other muscles toning stuff in my room every morning. Not to mention that I kept my diet as tight as possible.

I changed into my PE clothes as quickly as I could, seeing Max changing just a few lockers down. Part of me was angry that I kept looking over at the shorter girl, but I couldn't help it. After pulling my shirt on over my head, I spared her one last glance, seeing that she was taking her shirt off, revealing a surprisingly toned stomach and lean shoulders. I had to bite my lip to stop myself from moaning at the way she really was covered in freckles, her shoulder muscles flexing and relaxing as she grabbed for her PE shirt. _God, what I would give to kiss every inch of that stupid hipster's body._ My mouth watered at the thought and a pulse of heat spread through my chest, melting down to my gut before spilling over between my legs.

"Vic?" Taylor's voice broke me from my fantasies, making me jump a little.

"What?" I snapped a little louder than I meant to, bringing attention to myself again. Everyone close enough to hear me was looking at me, except for Max and I felt my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach. Max had seemed so gentle when we'd talked last night. She'd looked so scared at first, frozen in shock as I leaned in closer to her.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ready to go to class," Taylor explained patiently, making me feel guilty for being an ass to her when she was working so hard to be there for me. I took a deep breath and nodded, smiling at her a little.

"Thank you, I'm ready," I said softly, sparing Max another look before making my way to the door with Taylor beside me. Max still wasn't looking at me. I shouldn't have been surprised, this was how it'd always been. Max was just trying to keep things as normal as they could be. I tried to reason with myself, remembering that the aches and unbearable warmth I felt engulfing me were because I wasn't on suppressants, because I hadn't experienced a heat without them in years. I was bound to be a little crazy, right? I mean, every instinct I had was practically screaming at me to go right back into that locker room and rip Max's clothes right off and make her claim me in front of all those other girls whether she wanted to or not. But… I kinda hoped that she'd want to. I mean, she had walked into my room with a super noticeable hard on that didn't exactly go away when I started kissing her.

The memory brought on another wave of warmth and I had to swallow the lake of saliva that had pooled in my mouth. She had tasted so sweet and she was so gentle, so kind even when I started freaking out. But then she'd left without even bringing her bag with her. I'd left it outside her door that morning and had seen her walking around with it, so she obviously found it, but still. I'd scared her so bad that she'd just… left. But she'd said that there'd be a next time. It was probably an accident, but the idea sent a shiver through me nonetheless. I would've sold my soul for there to be a next time. Even if it was just for a few seconds, in that moment, there was nothing I wouldn't give up to kiss her again, to feel her body pressed to mine like it was normal. Like it was right.

"Why don't you just jump on her dick already?" Taylor asked and I glared at her. She rolled her eyes and continued. "Oh, come on, Vic. I'm not blind and even if I was, I could've smelled the thirst radiating off of you from a mile away." I looked away, trying to hide my blush.

"Is it that obvious?" I asked nervously.

"Only because you keep staring at her," Taylor replied, her tone a little gentler as she bumped my shoulder with hers and linked our arms. I couldn't help smiling at the gesture, but there was no way in hell that I'd let Taylor know that her stupid affection made my heart melt.

"She came over to help me study last night," I confessed, talking quietly as we walked into the gym. Taylor only looked a little surprised, but she didn't say anything gross. But I knew that would change when I told her what happened.

"What happened?" Was all she said as we started doing stretches.

"I… We… I kind of kissed her a little," I mumbled and Taylor almost fell over in the middle of the stretch she'd been trying to do before she regained her balance.

"Oh my god, really?" She squealed, taking my hand and bouncing on her heels. I tried to shoosh her, looking around to make sure no one was looking.

"Shut up, you idiot," I whisper yelled, my heart racing when I saw Max walk into the gym.

"How was it?" Taylor whispered, grinning at me like I'd just told her the juiciest bit of gossip to ever exist. "Was she, ya know, standing at attention?" Her words made my cheeks grow uncomfortably warm, but the memory flashing behind my eyes made it even worse. Not to mention the fluttering pulse that came along with the idea of Max and the fact she actually had been… Standing at attention as Taylor had so graciously put it. "Oh my god, she so was! Holy shit, Vic, I need details, all of the details!"

"Are you girls ready to start the lesson or do we have to wait for you to finish your conversation?" Our PE teacher asked. I was thankful to her despite her condescending tone because that meant that I still had at least 45 minutes until I had to think of something to tell Taylor. We went and lined up with the rest of the class, waiting until roll call was over so that our teacher could explain what we were doing that day. "Now, I know that all of you were very excited to be playing volleyball today, but we're going to be doing pair exercises instead." There were excited murmurs all around me, but I barely heard them because I was so far off in my own mind. I couldn't stop playing the memory of Max taking off her shirt over and over again.

"Don't get too excited," the teacher warned.

 _Too late,_ I thought to myself. _I am so fucking pathetic. Max didn't even look at me and here I am fantasizing about her like she's my mate or something._ Unfortunately, the idea only made the aching feeling in my gut worse. Just the idea of Max sinking her teeth into the cord of my shoulder to claim me as her own, a growl of possession rumbling in her throat as she moved above me, inside me, covered in sweat from hours of -

"Miss Chase." I jumped, looking up to see my teacher looking at me impatiently. "Did you even hear what I said?" I held back the irritated growl that boiled in my chest, giving her my best innocent smile.

"I'm sorry, I must have missed it," I replied casually. "Would you mind repeating your instructions?" The scowl on the teacher's face never faded, but it faltered a fraction.

"I said that you're with Caulfield for pair exercises," she said and I had to stop myself from protesting. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass myself in front of Max. Even though the idea of watching and counting as Max did push ups did things to me that made me worry I ruined my underwear, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. I mean, I had already kissed her and had tried to feel her up. She probably hated me.

"Yes, ma'am, thank you," I replied, cursing my voice for sounding even the slightest bit shaky. She nodded and walked off to the other side of the gym. It wasn't until that moment that I realized everyone else had already been paired off and were starting their exercises. I turned to see Max standing about five feet away from me, her jaw tight as she looked at the floor, her sneaker kicking at a loose piece of old wood. I took a deep breath, deciding that I'd had enough of whatever stupidity this was.

 _I'm Victoria Chase for fuck's sake,_ I reminded myself. _I'm supposed to be proving that omegas aren't just instinct-driven breeding machines, not fantasizing about dumb hipsters with pretty blue eyes and freckles._ I straightened to my fullest height, a whole two inches taller than Max, deciding that enough was enough. Closing the space between us, I could practically see the moment I was close enough for my scent to wash over her. It brought me a strange sense of satisfaction to watch her practically cower before me, though a small part of me wished she wouldn't.

"Well, are we going to get started or are you just going to stand there, Lamefield?" I asked sharply, surprised when she looked up at me defiantly.

"You should be in your room," she said quietly, the defiance slowly turning to concern. "You're broadcasting like crazy. If you're not careful, every alpha and beta on campus are going to be trying to mate with you."

"I can take care of myself," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. I just hoped that my tone hid the way my heart was thudding in my chest. Was Max really worried about me? "Plus, why do you care? You basically shot me down last night." The hurt in her eyes surprised me and I had to force myself to sigh like I was irritated. "Whatever, can we just get this over with?" Max just nodded, finding a corner that no one else had claimed yet. We ended up looking at each other awkwardly for a few moments.

"Do you wanna go first?" Max asked me, looking at me nervously. I rolled my eyes, irritation boiling in my gut along with the unending arousal Max seemed to cause in me when I didn't have chemicals stopping my hormones.

"Only if you stop looking at me like I'm going to bite you." I pushed through the pulse of pleasure at the thought of tasting the sweetness of Max's skin, seeing how long it took for her to become a panting, begging mess beneath me. I had to shake my head as I got down into a sit up position, looking up at Max expectantly. She looked like she was trying to keep her gaze on everything except me, rubbing her elbow like a nervous child. "Hello, earth to Maxine." She jumped a little, looking down at me with wide-eyed confusion.

"What's up?" She asked, withering when I let out an annoyed sigh.

"Can you hold my feet down so we can get started, or would you rather stand there like an incoherent dumb ass for the rest of class?" Much to the satisfaction of the most irritated part of myself, Max blushed before taking a step closer and gently putting her feet on top of my toes. "And make sure that you keep your head out of your ass long enough to count. I don't want to have to start over." She just nodded, looking down at my legs instead of my face. I felt my cheeks heat up at the view she must've had of me. I wondered how much I could make her blush if I just spread my legs apart a little…

 _No, focus!_

I started slow, lifting myself all the way up until my chest touched my knees before lowering myself back down. I kept an eye on Max, wishing she would look up from her shoes.

"One," she said softly, starting to rub her elbow again. I blew out every time I went up, feeling my already unbearably warm skin start to heat up even more after I got to ten. I groaned softly, not daring to stop yet. Normally I could do at least sixty if I was being lazy, there was no way I was going to let a little sweat make me give up at eleven. "Are you alright?" Max's concerned tone only made me more determined as I got to thirteen.

"Shut up and focus on counting," I grunted, not looking up at her. But I could feel her eyes on me as she was counting.

"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen." It felt like forever until she was starting to say numbers I found to be even close to acceptable. My entire body was covered in a sheen of sweat and my shirt was sticking to my stomach and chest and back. "Fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four. You know you don't have to keep going right?" The question came out a little hoarse and when I looked up, I could see Max blushing. I chuckled, propping myself up on my hands.

"Why? Getting tired of the view?" I teased her, her blush deepening in an extremely satisfying way. It had even managed to travel down her neck until it disappeared beneath her collar.

"You just seem tired," she said nervously, avoiding my gaze. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard." Her concern was a strange combination of heart-warming and extremely frustrating. I got to my feet, almost making her fall backward when I took a step towards her, still trying to catch my breath. I couldn't help breathing her in when I got close, the scent clean and rich, but there was a twinge of nervousness and something else so hidden that I could barely identify it. She seemed to freeze when I got a little too far into her personal space.

"Then I guess it's your turn if you're so afraid that I'll overdo it," I said as breathily as I could, smirking at the slight shiver I watched travel through her. "How many pushups can you do?"

"200 on a good day," she admitted bashfully, still not looking at me. "300 if I've had an energy drink first." I laughed harshly, ignoring the pulse in my core at the image of Max being strong enough to do 300 push-ups in one go.

"Prove it, then," I challenged her, taking a small, unnaturally difficult step away from her. "Do 200 right now and I'll put you and your friends on the VIP list for tonight's party." She looked up at me, an eyebrow quirked suspiciously.

"Why would I wanna go to a Vortex Club party?" She asked, looking completely serious. I couldn't help the slight blush that covered my cheeks when I realized that it was more of a reward for myself than her.

"Ok, I'll put you guys on the list and take you to dinner after," I said quickly before I could stop myself. She paused, her eyes growing wide for a moment before a grin spread across her lips.

"Actually, that would be pretty fun," she said, surprising me more than if Bigfoot had walked into the gym and had started doing to Cha Cha slide.

"Seriously?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Chloe would kill for a free meal and you've been growing on Kate since you apologized to her for -" She stopped mid-sentence, her grin fading before she looked away. "Anyways, that sounds fun. We should go to the Two Whales after the party tonight."

"The Two Whales?" I asked, barely holding back the disgust I felt brewing in my chest at the idea of going to dinner with Max and her friends to a place like that.

"Yeah, so, is it a bet?" She asked, holding out her hand for me a to shake. I looked up at her then down at her hand, chewing my lip as I thought it over. There was no way she could do 200 push-ups anyway, right? I mean, she definitely didn't look like she could do 200 push-ups. Or even fifty, for that matter. So I took her hand, shaking it as I glared into her eyes.

"You're on," I said, watching that stupid grin twitch at her lips again. "You do 200 push-ups and I'll put you guys on the VIP list and take you to dinner at the Two Whales after."

"Deal," she practically growled, the sound sending a shiver through me. She let go of my hand, dropping into the push-up position and started before I could even start counting. I probably lost count about six times after that, too transfixed by the way she started to pant and grunt when we got to somewhere around 150. Not to mention the way I could just see the outline of her shoulder muscles straining beneath her shirt. I was half tempted to leave her to do the rest of her push-ups so I could go grab my water bottle and just chug it because I suddenly felt way hotter than I had when I was doing sit-ups. I shouldn't have been surprised when she was reaching the end, she was an alpha after all. Alphas were usually had faster metabolisms and could be incredibly strong when they needed to be. But Max didn't even look like other alphas, so I was definitely surprised when she finally reached the end.

"197, 198, 199, 200," I finished, cursing myself for sounding ever so slightly breathlessly. Max managed to do one more for good measure before rolling over onto her back and plopping down onto the wooden floor, her chest heaving.

"More like 210, you kept losing count," she said with a breathless laugh. I tried to ignore the growing pressure between my legs at the sight of her on her back, looking up at me with shimmering eyes and sweat beading on her forehead. Max Caulfield, probably the skinniest girl I'd ever seen, had just done 200 push-ups and it was probably one of the best things I'd ever seen in my life.

"Sorry," I said weakly, tearing my eyes away from her much too infectious smile. "So, when do you wanna meet up for the party?" She looked up at me with an adorably surprised smile and sat up.

"Oh, you wanna go together?" she asked and my blush just got worse from there.

"Well, not like together together, obviously, but they wouldn't believe you were actually on the list if I wasn't with you," I explained, glad that my voice hadn't shaken half as much as I thought it would. Max smiled at me and I was pretty sure that my insides melted into a messy puddle at the sight.

"Ok, we'll meet you outside the dorms around eight, then," she said. I opened my mouth to reply, but the bell rang before I could. I just reached out my hand to help her up instead, trying to ignore the tingly sensation I felt wash over me when our skin touched. It was stupid, really. She hadn't even done anything, she'd just smiled and gotten sweaty and done too many push-ups and here I was practically swooning over her, ready to drop to all fours at her command. Taylor started walking over, causing Max to tense up next to me. "Ok, well, I'll see you later." And with that, she walked away and out the door to the locker room. Taylor tapped on my shoulder, making me jump before whirling around on her with a snarl.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," I growled, but she just laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Alright, sorry, princess," she replied. We walked back to the locker room together, Taylor asking me a million questions about what had happened between Max and I. I explained as little as I could get away with, telling her that Max and her friends would be coming with us to the party and that I would be going to dinner with them afterwards. She asked me if I wanted her to come along, but I told her that it would be fine, they weren't creeps or something.

As the day went on, I fought to hide my excitement for the party. I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to dance with Max. It was hard to stop thinking about that just long enough to take my stupid test before going back to my dorm to get ready for the party. By then, I was lost in bass filled fantasies of what it would be like to feel Max pressed against my back as I danced with her.

Maybe I had a chance. Maybe… Max and I had a chance.


	4. Chapter 4

Max's POV

"Hold on," Chloe said to me from her spot on Kate's bed, the two of them spooning and being grossly couplish even while it left me stuck to sit on the floor. "Did you just say what I think you said?" I sighed, rolling my eyes. I was so not in the mood to repeat myself today. I was pretty much fine after PE, even if it was hard for me not to remember the way Victoria had kept looking at me with her burning gaze, like she was daring me to stare at her. I couldn't help it, she was hard not to look at in the first place, but as soon as she was panting and grunting and sweaty, looking away from her had felt like a death sentence. But then, I'd been walking down the halls towards our science class and she almost looked like she was flirting with one of the betas in our class. She'd been touching his arm and giving him that look that made me feel like my entire body was practically humming. I knew that she was probably just asking him for answers to the test, she always did that. But it had made my blood boil nonetheless. It had taken all of my willpower and then some not to throw that guy up against a locker and tell him to never even look at Victoria ever again, let alone talk to her. But I didn't do that because that was insane. She was hardly my friend, let alone my mate, so why should I be telling other people not to… to...

"Max?" Kate asked softly, kneeling down next to me. I hadn't even noticed her get out of bed let alone walk towards me. "Are you alright? You're breathing really heavily and you're burning up." She put the back of her hand to my forehead and the coolness of it brought a bit of relief. I took a deep breath, noticing that I really had been breathing heavily, I felt like I'd just run three miles and could run about a hundred more.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, but it came out as a bit of a growl. To my surprise, Kate didn't flinch away from me despite the fact that I knew my pheromones were probably out of control compared to usual. "I'm fine, really."

"Dude, you are so not fine," Chloe said, sitting up on the bed and looking down at me. "You're hella stressed out and probably need some _alone time_." She said pointedly, tilting her head down. I looked down at my lap, my cheeks immediately going red at the sight of a bulge pressing against my jeans. I covered it with my hands, looking up at Kate apologetically. I knew it wasn't because of her, she was covered in Chloe's scent by now. It was probably brought on by the need to push other prospective mates away from Victoria. My instincts wanted to show that stupid beta that I was Victoria's mate, not him. Which was stupid because I _wasn't_ her mate and probably never would be.

"I should go," I said, getting to my feet and making my way to the door. Unfortunately, my path was blocked when I swung the door open, seeing Victoria standing there with her hand raised, about to knock on Kate's door. I was pretty sure that I had gone as rigid as her, both of us being overwhelmed by the sudden rush of hormones pumping through our blood. I swallowed thickly, seeing her eyes travel over me until they reached the bulge in my jeans. Her cheeks went completely red and the sight of her licking her lips almost made me groan.

Luckily, before we could tackle each other and start rutting right in the middle of the hall, Kate got between us, smiling sweetly at Victoria like nothing was wrong.

"Hi, Victoria, was there something you needed?" She asked. I could tell that Victoria was holding back a growl by the way her eyes burned with anger at the interruption. But she seemed to realize herself just in time, letting out a sigh and suddenly looking bashful.

"I was just wondering if you had more tea," she said softly. "I know I'm probably stealing your supply, but I promise that I'll reimburse you for everything you've given me."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Kate having a supply," Chloe said cheekily from inside the room before stepping up beside me and leaning against the doorframe. "I mean, she's got me, so why would she need tea?" Victoria's blush deepened, but she looked more irritated than embarrassed now.

"Chloe, what are you-" But she interrupted me, ruffling my hair. I couldn't help the growl that escaped me when she stepped past me and closer to Victoria, but she seemed to ignore it. But I could see a visible shudder run through Victoria as soon as the sound escaped me, causing my shaft to give an almost painful pulse against my jeans.

 _God, these things were not built to make room for things like this._

"So, when are we meeting up to go to the party tonight?" Chloe asked, grinning at the spectacle before her, even though I knew she was trying to defuse the tension that we could all feel hanging in the air.

"Around eight," Victoria replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "And please try not to act like a total underdeveloped asshole while you're around me. I have a reputation I need to keep intact."

"Oh, but what about _my_ reputation?" Chloe quipped, starting to grin. "It's very important for me to be as assholeyish as possible so that people won't mistake me for some other hella punk alpha with the hottest omega this side of the states." Victoria bristled, but she managed to keep the snarl I could see twitching at her lips from forming completely. Unfortunately for me, pissing her off had only seemed to make her broadcast stronger to the point where I had to practically hold my breath to keep Victoria's scent from overwhelming me.

"Down, Chlo," Kate said teasingly, handing Victoria another box of tea bags. "Here you go, and don't worry about reimbursing me, this giant freak can always buy me more." Chloe chuckled and wrapped her arm around Kate's waist.

"Why would you need tea when you can have my-"

"Alright, I'm leaving," I said, pushing through them and brushing past Victoria. I ignored the electricity that went through me at the contact, hurrying down the hall and walking into my room, closing my door behind me. "Jesus Christ," I sighed to my empty room, watching the light of the setting sun filter through my window and stain my carpet. At least it was quiet in here and Victoria wasn't around to make me feel like a crazy person. Unfortunately, just the thought of her made my shaft give a needy twitch against my underwear and I groaned a little louder than I meant to. Looking at my clock, I sighed when I saw that it was already almost six. That gave me some time to shower and get dressed before going over and making sure that Kate and Chloe were ready. They were practically adults, so I figured they would be, but it was hard to tell with those two. Not to mention that I would have to mentally prepare myself for seeing Victoria again after what had just happened.

But before any of that, I had to take care of the problem that was now painfully pulsing with its own heartbeat against the seam of my pants. Kicking off my shoes, I pulled my shirt over my head, walking over to my hi-fi to turn on some music. Just in case. I took off my bra, tossing it onto my bed before shucking off my jeans and boxers. I let out a sigh of relief as a cool breeze flowed through my open window and brushed over my burning skin. Thank god for fall breezes. Plopping down on the couch, I looked down at my lap, pursing my lips when I saw the I really was fully erect, the head of my cock glistening even though I'd gotten almost no physical stimulation besides the harsh rub of my jeans. I could feel the fullness pulsing through my erection from base to tip, wondering what the hell had gotten me so excited so fast. And then Victoria's face appeared in my head again, her scent washing over me like she was actually standing right in front of me, that half-dazed look from last night on her face as she leaned in to kiss me.

Chloe was right, I really had needed some alone time. I usually didn't masturbate if I didn't have to, mostly because I always felt like someone would walk in and start laughing at me if they saw me. But I didn't really care about that in that moment as I wrapped my fingers around my shaft, giving it a squeeze that sent a bolt of pleasure all the way up my spine. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, imagining that it wasn't actually me that was pumping my length. I almost felt guilty as Victoria came racing back into my mind, her lips a breath away from mine as she ran her thumb over the head of my cock, making my hips jump in response.

" _I want you inside me, Max," I could hear her saying breathlessly, her bare chest pressed to mine as she kissed my neck. She pulled away, looking down at me with pleading eyes, like she was asking me for permission. I nodded, barely registering her words until my head was lined up with her entrance, the slickness of her excitement mixing with mine as she started to press down. I let out a groan as the head was slowly swallowed into her channel. The hot, tight velvet muscles gripping my cock making me see white for a moment._

Just the idea of Victoria riding me had me coming before I could think better of it or register how it taken less than a minute before my release was coming in waves, spilling over my hand and onto my shivering stomach muscles. The relief pulsing through me had me groaning and yelling Victoria's name to the ceiling before it was over. As my tight muscles started to loosen and I fell sort of limply back on my couch, I thanked my past self for deciding to put my music on at a higher volume than usual. I sighed, cleaning myself up with a paper towel before tossing it the trash and getting my stuff together to go take a shower. My shower didn't take very long, so I took my time getting dressed and then waited until 7:45 to meet up with Kate and Chloe.

When it was finally time for the three of us to meet up, I walked down the hall, hearing violin music through the door. Assuming that Kate was practicing for her music class, I opened the door, starting to speak before looking around.

"Hey, guys, I'm really sorry about earlier, I'll try to have more self-control next ti- Oh my god!" I slapped my hands over my eyes, ignoring the stinging pain the slap brought with it. What I had just seen could never be unseen, but I sure as hell was going to dump my brain and eyes into a bucket of bleach next time I got the chance just to be sure. Chloe plowing into Kate from behind was definitely not something I wanted to see every time I decided to blink.

"You couldn't have at least knocked first?" Chloe laughed, but she sounded at least a little embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were listening to Kate practice her piece while you read a comic book or something, not rutting your girlfriend into the ground!" I turned away from them, facing the wall that was opposite Kate's bed, taking a few deep breathes. Unfortunately, that did little to calm my nerves since the room stank of sex and Chloe's all too dominant scent.

"I'm so sorry, Max," Kate said sheepishly, I could only imagine how embarrassed she was. "Would you mind closing the door?"

"Fine, but I'm waiting outside," I said, walking out, but not before adding, "And don't you dare start having sex again, or I'll scream." With that, I slammed the door and sat down next to it, rubbing my eyes in the hopes of scrubbing the image of Chloe buried to the hilt inside Kate from my memory forever. I didn't get much time for that, though, because I suddenly smelled a scent that I recognized almost immediately as Victoria and looked up to see her standing over me, a small smirk on her face. She looked _amazing._ She was wearing a black skirt with tights like usual, but she was wearing heels and a really, _really_ tight blouse instead of her cashmere. I couldn't help the need to gulp when I saw that the first two buttons of the blouse were undone, revealing almost too much pale, soft cleavage for my brain to process as she bent over, her hands on her hips.

 _Holy shit, holy shit, fuck, oh my god, what is happening?_

"Hey, Max," she greeted me, the smirk on her face only growing when I struggled to remember what I was supposed to say in response to that.

"Hey," I managed eventually, scrambling to my feet and trying to act much more confident that I felt. I managed something kinda like a smile before I realized that I was still struggling not to stare at her chest. I flicked my gaze up to meet hers, seeing a slight blush covering her cheeks. "You look nice." _Nice, oh my god that's not even close to what she looks like._ "I mean, you always look nice, I just meant that you look nice right now too. You've always been really good at picking out what to wear. Not that I would know 'cause I apparently don't dress that nice. But you look nice, really nice." _Oh my god, stop,_ stop _talking!_ To my surprise, Victoria laughed softly, her cheeks darkening a little more as she avoided my gaze, running her fingers through her hair almost nervously. I could've sworn I saw her bite her lip, causing my knees to wobble beneath me.

"You really think I look nice?" She asked. I almost mistook her tone as sheepish, like she hadn't been expecting me to start rambling about how good she looked. I nodded, trying to keep the motion steady while not letting my eyes run up and down her body again.

"Yep, hella good," I croaked, laughing as I rubbed the back of my neck. She smiled, looking me over in a way that made me have to clench my fists to stop myself from shivering.

"You almost look acceptable," she replied, but it sounded more like a joke than an insult and I actually laughed.

"Gotta look almost good enough for a Vortex Club party, right?" I joked and she actually giggled. The sound made my heart skip a beat and I was about to make another joke when the door we were standing next to opened, Chloe and Kate walking out, fully clothed, luckily for me. Kate was looking at the ground, her face completely red while Chloe was just grinning like she normally would, though I did notice a slight pinkness to her cheeks.

"Hey, guys," Chloe said, smirking and reaching to wrap her arm around my shoulders, but I moved away, smacking at her hand.

"Nuh uh, you're not allowed to touch me for 24 hours, minimum," I said, bristling a little when she laughed and reached for me again.

"Awe, come on, Max! It wasn't that bad," she said, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me towards her. I pushed against her shoulders, trying to pull away.

"Not that bad? I'm traumatized!"

"Oh, like you haven't thought about doing that same exact thing to Sticky Vi-" I slapped my hand over her mouth before she could finish, but she licked my palm. I yelped in disgust, scrambling away from her.

"Ew," I groaned, wiping the saliva on her shirt. "Grooossssss."

"Why?" Chloe asked with a grin and she wrapped her arm around Kate's waist. "I can promise that my tongue's only been near one thing besides food for awhile now." She made a V with her hands, sticking her tongue between it. I cringed and could see Kate blushing as she glared at Chloe.

"Please stop," I begged, unsure if I should put my hands over my eyes or my ears.

"What the hell are you freaks talking about?" Victoria snapped, grabbing all of our attention again. Chloe whistled, looking the blond up and down.

"Damn, Vicky, are you _trying_ to make Max jizz her pants?" The tall girl asked. Victoria and I both tensed in shock, looking at each other with wide eyes before I shot my gaze back at Chloe, glaring at her.

"I am going to destroy you," I growled, stalking towards her. I was mad, but more embarrassed than anything. And even if I was super pissed, I'd never hurt Chloe, no matter how much of an asshole she was. Chloe just grinned and ran for the door, running through it before I could catch up to her. When the rest of us followed her outside, I just let her run off, rolling my eyes even as my cheeks grew hot.

"I really am sorry, Max," Kate said, walking next to me. Her face was completely red and she wasn't even looking at me. "For what you saw and for Chloe being so inappropriate. She's just embarrassed." I laughed softly, pulling Kate into a side hug and smiling at her when she looked up at me in surprise.

"It's fine, Kate," I said, letting her go and putting my hands in my pocket. "Just put a sock on the door or something next time." That made Kate blush harder than when she'd "accidentally" kissed Chloe in front of me when they first started dating.

"Dude, you guys are hella fucking slow," Chloe called from next to the house where Wells stayed, leaning against a lamppost right across from it with a big grin on her face. Kate smiled and made her way over to Chloe, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her. Victoria and I walked next to each other behind them, making our way to the pool room just as the party seemed to be heating up.

"So, where's Taylor?" I asked, trying to break the tension just a bit. It was almost suffocating. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't trying not to breathe too much because I could already feel Victoria's scent overwhelming me.

"She went early to make sure that everything was ready for the party," she said casually, sounding much less like her normal self than usual. "Plus, I figured that it might be nice for us to talk a little more. You know, without any of the pressure of friends or whatever." I raised my eyebrows at her, but she wasn't looking at me, her eyes locked with the pavement instead. "I know it sounds stupid. I just think it would be kind of cool to get to know the real Max." She looked up at me then, smiling so sweetly that it was almost too much to look at, but I smiled back despite myself and laughed softly before having to look away.

"Yeah, I have to admit that I've always been kind of curious about what you're like when there's no one else around too," I replied. We walked into the party after that, the sound of the bass and people yelling and chattering around me almost made me stumble back. Not to mention the mingling of scents made my head spin. Kate and Chloe said they were going to go dance, but before I could say anything, Victoria had taken my hand, my palm buzzing at the contact. I was powerless agonist the pull of her hand as she lead me to the bar, ordering two drinks so quickly that I barely heard it happen.

"Are you a drinker, Max?" She asked over the sound of pounding music. It took me a moment to process her words, but by then there was already a shot glass in my hand.

"I mean, I've choked down a few beers with Chloe before," I shouted back and Victoria chuckled, raising her shot glass as a grin played across lips. She almost looked otherworldly in the flashing purple and blue lights, her eyes shimmering as she stared me down. I swallowed dryly, suddenly very aware of the trap I had just been snared in.

"You might wanna brace yourself for what's in there, then," she warned, tossing back her shot with a quick swallow and a smirk as she set the glass to the side. "Come on, don't be shy." Her words were followed by her licking her lips to get the last of the alcohol off of them, but the action sent a thrill through me that I wished I could ignore, but the atmosphere and the beautiful omega standing in front of me made it very difficult to maintain my self control. I managed to fight off the urge to kiss her right then and there, tossing back the shot instead. Whatever it was was bitter and burned like hell, but I managed to swallow it. I coughed once, scolding myself for it internally. Victoria hadn't even flinched, but I guess she was a bit more practiced when it came to this sort of thing.

That's when I saw it. I looked into her eyes, gleaming brilliant points of fire among my constantly shifting surroundings, staring into me like none of the things I'd worked so long to keep at bay were in their cages anymore. I had been set loose in this jungle that Victoria felt at home in. She was in her element, a predator just waiting for something to pounce at. And here I was, not an alpha who was supposed to be strong and powerful and in charge of it all, just Max. A deer that had caught her eye. And every part of me was willing to give into her in that moment. Weirdly enough, that wasn't the part of my feelings that scared me. It as the fact that I knew she wanted me to take her and I could feel the alpha inside of me beginning to take the control it knew I would have over her. Victoria would be mine to claim, mine to use, mine to mate until her heat was sated. And the worst part was that I knew that was what she wanted, for me to give in to the instincts I knew laid almost dormant inside myself.

She took my hand, walking backwards as she lead me into the crowd. It was almost like the sea of students were parting around us, but I couldn't be bothered to watch them because I was too consumed by the burning intensity of Victoria's gaze. I saw her smirk as the lights flashed around us, pulling me deeper into the crowd of dancing students. I followed her without resisting even a little, my entire body buzzing with a desire that I didn't know I could experience. I felt like I was being over stimulated and partially satisfied all at once, especially when Victoria stopped walking, pulling me close to her and wrapping her arms around my neck as she looked down at me. I felt myself putting my hands on her hips and pressing myself against her before could stop it, my brain almost short circuiting at the way her chest pressed against mine and her hips ground against my own. She started dancing, moving side to side to the music pounding around us and, before I knew it, we were moving together, the world narrowing until it was just Victoria.

Victoria's body pressed to mine.

Victoria's hips moving with mine.

Victoria's scent wrapping around me.

Victoria's fingers in my hair and her nails dragging down my neck.

Her face was a breath away from mine, our foreheads pressed together as we danced. I was about to lean closer, about to let myself fall into the trap she'd laid out for me, but she had other ideas. Victoria turned around, her back pressed against me with her fingers still tangled in my hair. She moved down my body before coming back up, leaning her head back a little so that I could feel her every breath against my lips and cheek as she ground her hips back against me. I bit the inside of my cheek, silencing the groan that threatened to escape me. But then she was facing me again, staring down at me with bright, burning green eyes. That's when I knew I'd lost.

I leaned in, capturing Victoria's soft, red lips in a kiss that was almost so hard it hurt, but I didn't care. I was kissing her again and it brought a sense of rightness that I couldn't quite find the words for. Not that I could've found words for anything in that moment even if my life depended on it. She leaned into me, tugging on my hair as she kissed me back, whimpering against my lips. My body was filled with warmth by the time she pulled away, her chest heaving as she stared down at me with a look of triumph in her eyes. The worst part was that I didn't even care that she looked smug. It turned me on even more knowing that she had wanted this, that she was just as weak to her own desire as I was. It made me feel like I wasn't totally losing my mind.

"I need you, Max," she said against my lips, kissing me again, almost teasingly. "Please, Max." I swallowed the growl that was forming in my chest, but part of it escaped anyway. "We'll go back to my room, just the two of us. No one has to know." Normally, the words would've made me sick to my stomach. I hated the idea of being someone's little secret, but my brain wasn't exactly working in all the right places when all I could think about was tearing off that stupid blouse.

"Ok," I said breathlessly, nodding as I tried to blink away the strange red haze that had started forming around the edges of my vision. Victoria kissed me one more time, hard and fast before taking my hand and leading me out of the crowd. We were about to reach the door when an alpha jock grabbed Victoria's arm, pulling her to a stop, halting me as a result.

"Hey, Vic," he slurred, giving her a drunk grin before he spotted me. "Who's the shrimp?" I bristled, a growl growing in my chest as I stepped forward, broadcasting my pheromones more than I had thought possible. My entire body was practically buzzing with a dominance I didn't realize I possessed. He was either extremely drunk or I wasn't all that scary because he snarled at me, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Stay away from her," I growled, not feeling the least bit threatened by the giant beef for brains asshole who'd just touched _my omega. My Victoria_.

"Or what?" he asked, taking a step forward. "How you gonna stop me?"

"By ripping your fucking arm off, dip shit," I snarled, shoving him against the wall behind him. After he'd recovered from the sickening thud he'd made on impact, he charged at me, raising his arm to land a punch on my face. Luckily, the haze I was in didn't make me as slow or clumsy as that asshole. I ducked and sidestepped his giant arm, landing a right hook on his jaw that sent him falling to the ground. He groaned, holding his face, but he didn't get up.

Before I had much time to celebrate, though, Victoria had taken my hand and we were running to the dorms. We reached her room in a blur of heavy breaths and slamming doors until she was pressing my back against her dorm room door, grinding her hips around the bulge in my pants as she pinned me down with a kiss that set my skin on fire. I groaned, tugging at her blouse until I heard it tear a little. She pulled away, gasping for breath as she stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and need.

"That was the hottest thing you've ever done," she gasped, her chest heaving against me. All I could do was growl, pulling her into a kiss before picking her up into my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist. I crossed the small distance between the door and her bed, dropping her onto the mattress before laying down on top of her. I held myself up on my knees as I kissed her, glad that she was supporting herself on her elbows so that I didn't have to balance too much as I continues to tug at her clothes. I reached down to her blouse, grabbing at the top of it and tearing it down the centered. Most of the buttons popped off, one of them bouncing off my chest as Victoria let out a yelp of surprise against my lips.

"Clothes, off," I growled, helping her get the blouse off her shoulders and down her arms. I could barely think straight, let alone speak full sentences. I was surprised that I had managed to do anything besides grunt and fumble with her clothes at that point. She nodded her response, pulling away to take off her bra while I pulled off my jacket and shirt, throwing them on the ground before moving on to my bra.

When I looked down, my heart skipped a beat before resuming its insanely fast pace against my ribs. Victoria laid beneath me, her chest bare as it heaved with the effort of catching her breath. Her breasts were hypnotizing in that moment, drawing my attention before I could process much else. The fire in my gut was almost unbearable, so I took it out on Victoria's chest and throat, kissing and biting every inch of skin I could find as she gasped and writhed beneath me. I had never done anything like this. Hell, I'd barely even imagined doing anything like this! But here I was, wrapping my lips around the hard peak of Victoria's left breast, running my tongue around it before biting down on it until she was a mess underneath me. I ground my hips uselessly against hers, eliciting a whimper that made me shiver.

"Max," Victoria gasped, her fingers laced in my hair as she pulled me up to kiss her. I kissed her back as accurately as my fried brain would let me, kneading her breasts in my hands. But soon that wasn't enough for either of us. She pulled away from me, reaching between us to undo my pants. I stood, pulling down my jeans and boxers in one swift movement before grabbing the hem of Victoria's skirt and tights, pulling them down until they were around her ankles. She kicked off her heels as I leaned back down to pull her into another kiss. Reaching down to wrap her fingers around my shaft, she squeezed gently, making me cry out weakly, pumping my hips.

"Inside," she said breathlessly, pumping my length once until she ran her thumb over the head, spreading the bead of wetness that had gathered there. I couldn't help whimpering, clenching my eyes shut. Feeling the warmth of her palm wrapped around me making my insides clench had my inner alpha demanding more. It demanded my obedience to its whims, to the whims of Victoria's heat. So I moved my hand down between us, sitting up a little to watch as I ran the head of my cock through her slick folds. I shivered at the sensation, but the best part was the way Victoria moaned, long and high and needy, her hips grinding down to try and take me in. I growled, lining up my shaft with her entrance before leaning down and biting gently at the cord of her shoulder. She gasped, whimpering submissively as she tried to calm her twitching hips. When I was satisfied that she had submitted herself enough, I pressed forward. I don't know what, but something told me to take it slow as the tip slipped through.

I gasped at the tightness that was slowly engulfing me the deeper I sank. Victoria let out a long, guttural moan, digging her nails into my back as her inner walls rippled around me. I groaned, my hips pressing forward sharply without my permission. Victoria cried out in a mixture of pain and pleasure, making me slow my pace again. I looked down at her, seeing her staring between us in disbelief. The sight sent a spark through me that I couldn't stop, making me give one, long thrust.

"Oh fuck," Victoria moaned, gasping beneath me. I leaned down, kissing her as tenderly as I could as I gave her time to adjust. I couldn't understand why, but something inside me knew that I needed to be careful. I wanted to be gentle, I'd hate to hurt her, even if most people thought she deserved it. I pulled away, looking down into her eyes and giving my hips a small grind, silently asking for permission to continue. She whimpered, nodding and clenching her walls down around my shaft. I groaned, leaning my head down to kiss her neck as I started thrusting.

The electricity of the sensation was overwhelming, the tightness and pressure inside of me coiling tighter and tighter with every breath. Victoria was a tense mess beneath me, her moans getting louder and louder with every thrust. I kissed and nipped at her neck, feeling my knot pressing to her entrance as I picked up my pace, her skin hot and salty under my tongue.

"Harder," Victoria begged, holding me so close that I could've sworn she'd never let me. I bit down gently at the place I knew I wanted to mark her most, but I didn't let myself sink my teeth in. I couldn't. I might've been losing myself in the moment and to my own instincts, but I still had a fraction of a functioning brain to work with. Well, at least I thought I did until Victoria started chanting my name, the sound of it rolling it off of her tongue in a moan making me pound harder and harder into her until our pace could've been decent competition against my heart in a race. I could feel my knot aching with every thrust that didn't allow it entrance to Victoria's channel. But soon, I didn't have to wait much longer, because she wrapped her legs around my waist, pushing against me so that I couldn't pull back, pressing my knot against her entrance until it started to stretch. It took less than a few moments of patient pressing and a small, hard thrust for the knot to squeeze through.

"Oh my god, Max!" Victoria practically screamed, her entire body going taut and her inner walls clenching down hard around me. My elbows buckled a little, making me almost lose my balance. I came before I could stop it, the pressure that had been building inside of me bursting with a flash of white light and pleasure that made me black out for a moment, my shaft throbbing again and again with my release.

When I came back to myself, I was laying on top of a breathless Victoria, her hand stroking through my hair. I propped myself up on my elbows, looking down at the bleary-eyed omega, a small, sleepy smile on her face. I couldn't help smiling back, a blissful exhaustion taking over my mind.

"How was that?" I asked, my words coming out a little slurred. Victoria chuckled softly, the sound making my stupid grin even wider.

"Incredible," she replied, kissing me gently. I let myself melt against her, laying back down on top of her.

"I've never done that," I admitted without thinking, too happy to be skin to skin with Victoria to really care about what I said. "You were amazing too." I nuzzled against her neck, breathing in her sweet scent.

"That explains why you passed out," she teased, giggling when I groaned indignantly against her neck.

"I didn't pass out," I protested, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close, feeling her warm skin against mine.

"It's ok, it was sort of a compliment to me," she said soothingly, the gentleness in her voice making me even more sleepy.

"You are pretty amazing," I conceded, humming contentedly when she squeezed me against her. We laid there in total silence for a little while, the only sounds around me were the sounds of our slowed breathing and the occasional footsteps we could hear shuffling through the hallway. I had even started going soft despite the comfortable warmth around my shaft and occasional ripples that traveled through Victoria's walls. Laying in Victoria's arms was much more comfortable than I ever imagined and I was asleep before I could resist my exhaustion. I was so satisfied, so soothed by the warmth of Victoria's skin. I never wanted to leave. I hoped that I'd never have to.


	5. Chapter 5

Victoria's POV

Someone was laying behind me, their arms wrapped around my middle with their chest pressed to my back. They were warm and soft in all the right places pressed against me. I took a deep breath, breathing in the rich scent of the alpha who was pressed to me and I felt my body come alive with the memories of the night before. Max pressing against me, looking down at me as she thrust into me, her knot filling me more than I thought possible. I shivered at the memory of her finally releasing inside me.

 _Was it real?_ I asked myself, feeling doubt crawl in from the corners of my mind. I mean, the body pressed against me was definitely real, but was it really Max? I sat up a little, trying to look behind me. The sight I was met with left me speechless as I turned to take it in. It really was Max, her features slack and relaxed as she slept, her mouth hanging open a little as her freckled chest rose and fell with each breath. I couldn't help smiling, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair from her face. She didn't even stir.

I felt a small breeze run over my skin, making me shiver from the cold. I looked down at myself, realizing that I was completely naked. My cheeks warmed at the discovery, but they burned when I realized that meant that Max was naked too. I looked back at her, taking in her small frame and the freckle covered expanse of skin along her chest and shoulders. She was back to her female anatomy down below, but I could vividly remember the size and warmth of what I knew she could shift into. Moving a little closer to her, I pulled a blanket over us, tracing the line of her jaw with my thumb. I had dreamed of moments like this so often that I had a hard time believing that it was really happening before my eyes. It probably would've been easier to believe if it was less than I had expected, but that was far from the case. Everything about Max seemed to surprise me nowadays.

How easy it had seemed for her to forgive me for the things I'd said to her and try to help me study. How she'd almost acted like that first kiss had never happened and had actually tried to be my friend. How she'd put herself in danger to get that guy away from me at the party. It was all so… So not what I had expected of her. I almost wished she'd been a little petty about it all, that way I might not have this warm, swelling feeling my chest as I looked at her.

I hadn't noticed that I had started following the line of her collarbone with my fingers until she made a soft, mumbling sort of sound, her hand reaching up to wrap gently around my wrist. I froze, tensing as she opened her eyes. She paused for a moment, her silvery blue eyes looking up at me as a smile spread across her lips.

"That tickles," she rasped, the sound giving me goosebumps as the sight of her smile made me relax a little.

"Sorry," I said softly, feeling my cheeks heat up again. "I couldn't help it. I've always loved your freckles." Max's smile turned into a smirk as she raised a tired eyebrow at me.

"Always, huh?" She asked, intertwining her fingers with mine before bringing them to her lips. My insides went molten at the gentle kisses, making my ears burn while also managing to remind me of the ache between my legs. I nodded, looking down at her lips as she let our hands fall between us. "Are you ok?" She asked, pulling me from the inner debate I'd been having about whether or not I was allowed to kiss her. I cleared my throat, nodding as I looked away. Sometimes Max's gaze was just too much to stand under, no matter how hard I glared back.

"I just… I'm confused," I admitted, my heart sinking a little at the realization. All the things I'd thought about, pushed to the back of my mind for so long, they were suddenly right in front of me. Max was there, laying naked in my bed, her concern directed right at me and I was worried about whether or not I was allowed to have this much happiness welling up inside me. I was scared that this wasn't what Max had wanted. "You seemed so against this," I continued. "What made you change your mind? It wasn't because I tempted you, was it? I didn't mean to make you do something you'd regret, I just-" Max pressed her lips to mine, silencing me in an instant. She was so gentle, so soft and she tasted so sweet. I felt tears prick my eyes, making me pull her closer to me so maybe she wouldn't see. I didn't want to be the type of person that cried after sex, that would so ruin my image. I was supposed to be happy, satisfied. But instead, I felt this ache in my chest, begging me to clutch onto the moment and never let go. To never let go of the chance that I'd been given.

"It's ok, Victoria," Max said gently when we parted, wiping a tear from my cheek. "I did it because I wanted to. Maybe that little dance and the alcohol gave me some extra courage, but it was my decision in the end. Our decision." I nodded, sniffling as I buried my face in her chest. "I… didn't hurt you or anything, did I?" She asked nervously. I shook my head, wiping my eyes before looking up at her again.

"The only thing you did was scare me when you passed out," I deadpanned, barely holding in the giggles that bumbled in my chest when Max groaned, her cheeks going red as she buried her face in her hands.

"I only passed out because you're so damn tight," she grumbled, making me blush. She seemed to realize what she had said and the lewd tone behind it because she went completely red and started sputtering. "I mean, not that it's a bad thing, it's good. I just wasn't expecting it to feel so good and I'd never done anything like that before so it was a lot to process all at once. Plus you're already super pretty and attractive and everything and I just never thought you'd want to do something like that with me." She took a breath, probably preparing to continue her adorable rambling. I pressed a finger to her lips, causing her to let out a strangled groan as she looked up into my eyes.

"It's ok, I'll take it as a compliment," I replied, lowering my finger to run the tip down the middle of her chest. The ache between my legs was growing again as I watched Max start to breathe a little heavier. I could feel her heartbeat beneath my finger as I moved a little closer to her, my lips barely a breath away from hers. "Am I allowed to kiss you?" I asked softly, looking into her eyes. She nodded and I could see her throat bob as she swallowed. I closed the gap between us, drawing her body closer to mine until I felt my skin burning with the contact of hers. She kissed me just as sweetly as she had before, but it was a little sloppier now, her hands moving up my back to my shoulders as she tried to pull me closer. My chest was firmly pressed her hers, a small whimper escaping my when she started gently raking her nails down my back.

The warmth in my gut was starting to turn into a roaring fire, causing my heart to race as I brought my hand to her chest, palming one of her breasts as her tongue ran along the seam of my lips. My lips parted on instinct, her tongue running over mine as I felt my core starting to burn. I needed her again, needed to wipe away the doubt in my mind that this wasn't what I deserved. Max wanted me, didn't she? She wouldn't be here, kissing me like her life depended on it if she didn't.

 _So what if I don't deserve it?_ I asked myself, tangling my fingers in her hair. _She wants me, she's kissing me and holding me and-_ I whimpered softly as I felt Max's hardening shaft press against my leg, her pheromones broadcasting more than they ever had that I could remember. Even last night she hadn't smelled so strongly of alpha. But it wasn't like most alphas. It was sweeter, almost cleaner in a way, like hiding it had made it more special for whoever got the chance to experience it full force. I raked my nails down her back and grabbed her ass to pull her closer, shivering at the soft rumbling sound that started in Max's chest.

"How mad do you think Chloe is that we ditched her at the party?" I asked, unsure of why the thought came to mind in that moment. Part of me was terrified that the other alpha would be angry at me for taking Max back to my room and leaving her and Kate at the party. Or maybe she'd be even more livid about Max and I sleeping together.

"She'll get over it," Max replied somewhat breathlessly, pushing me so I was laying on my back as she laid down on top of me, kissing me fiercely before scattering kisses along my jaw and down my neck. My breath caught in my throat when she latched onto my pulse point, sucking the skin as she moved her hand up my side while keeping herself just above me with the other. My heart raced in my chest, my body humming with the desire Max had ignited in me. It was almost too much to take, just the feeling of her hands on my skin and her lips pressed to my neck left me wishing I had the words to beg.

"Max," I breathed, my head spinning as my core ached with the need to be filled. She pulled away looking down at me with a concerned look in her eyes.

"What? Are you ok? Did I do something wrong?" She asked breathlessly. I sighed, unable to stop myself from smiling despite the combination of irritation, impatience and admiration I felt at the alpha's hesitance. Grabbing the back of her neck, I pulled her down for a kiss, hoping to reassure her with the soft, hopefully affectionate, gesture.

"Nothing wrong," I told her, still trying to catch my breath. "Just couldn't find the words to say I want you." The alpha blushed, smiling shyly at me as she leaned down to kiss me again before reaching between us and cupping her hand between my legs. My hips jerked into her touch, the friction making me whimper as she ran a finger around my entrance.

"How bad do you want me?" She whispered hesitantly, looking down at me with a sheepish look on her face, but her eyes were burning. I felt my inner walls flutter at the question, hoping that she'd felt it to put some firmness behind my response.

"So bad it hurts to think you might not be here when I open my eyes every time I blink," I said breathlessly, her finger still swirling around my entrance, even though I could see her features going to from sheepish to a combination of turned on and awestruck. I decided to keep going, might as well spill my guts. Maybe she wouldn't take me too seriously when she knew I was desperate for her to rut me into the ground. "I want you so badly that I would buy a hundred dollar blouse and let you tear it off my body a thousand times because it's the sexiest thing in the world." I couldn't help smirking at the shudder I saw go through Max at that. I felt her finger sink inside me and I let out a moan, contracting gently around her finger as I looked up into her eyes.

"More," she growled, her gaze burning into me. Part of me wondered if she needed this, if she needed me to tell her that I wanted this so that she didn't feel guilty doing it. The thought made me feel better about how much she wanted this, but part of me wondered if it was just some sort of kink. Which I wouldn't have been against if she was into it. I kinda liked having to prove myself anyway.

"I've wanted you since the day I met you," I told her, my voice cracking into a hoarse whimper when she ran the pad of her thumb over my clit, making my hips jump. "I've always wanted to see you like this, always wanted you inside me. I've always wanted you to be the one I woke up next to whenever I slept with someone, always wanted your knot, your seed, your love." The list was coming out breathy and fast now, her finger curling up against my front wall and that perfect spot that made me clench and flutter down around her. "And out of all the alphas I know, I always knew that if my heat got to be too much, I would choose you," I confessed breathlessly. I wanted her inside me again, wanted her spilling into me and knotting me like I was hers and no one else's. But she paused, looking down at me as she lay completely frozen. Part of me wondered if I'd said the wrong thing until I saw the affection in her eyes. My heart skipped a beat and I reached up, cupping her cheek with my hand. "It was always you," I whispered.

That must've been the right thing to say because she surged forward, capturing my lips in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs, leaving me whimpering beneath her. Every inch of me felt like it was on fire and my insides had gone molten, boiling over and landing between my legs with a throbbing ache that grew stronger every second Max wasn't inside me. But I couldn't find the will to be discontent or impatient, not when she was kissing me so passionately like I was the only thing she'd ever want. I had almost forgotten that oxygen was something I required to stay conscious when there was a loud pounding coming from my door.

Max and I both jumped, barely able to cover ourselves before Chloe slammed open the door, her hands on her hips as she grinned at us. I couldn't help the quick shriek of annoyance and embarrassment that filled the air when I saw the alpha looking so completely smug.

"What the fuck, Chloe?" Max snarled, covering me with the blanket we'd been lying under along with her own body.

"It's only fair," she drawled, like she hadn't just ruined one of the best moments of my entire life. "You walk in on Kate and me and I walk in on you and Queen Bitchtoria."

"Get out!" I shouted, throwing a pillow at her. It bounced off her with minimal effect, only getting a chuckle out of the alpha as she closed the door behind her, standing in the middle of my room and looking around.

"Nice place you got here," she said, completely ignoring me as I stared daggers at her. "Why didn't you tell me she had hella digs? I would've helped hook you guys up way sooner."

"I'm going to fucking destroy you," Max growled, but she looked more embarrassed than pissed. Chloe turned to her, grinning.

"Oh, I think you should save that kind of dirty talk for Vicky, Mad Max," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, I think this will teach you not to ditch me at a party again. Now get dressed, we're going to dinner."

"Dinner? What time is it?" I asked, picking up my phone. It was barely midnight yet, which I guess was good because I was starving and had kind of been craving pancakes. Not that I'd ever admit that to another living soul.

"Oh come on, Max doesn't have that much stamina," Chloe teased, pulling me from my imaginings of syrup and butter covered pancakes and a nice cup of espresso. Max bristled next to me, growling at the taller alpha.

"We'll be out in a minute, alright? Just get out!" Max shouted, the room suddenly filling with her scent as she glared at the blue haired girl. The sudden change made my mouth water, but it made Chloe flinch, her nose wrinkling.

"Alright, alright, Jesus," She chuckled, rolling her eyes as she left the room, closing the door behind her. Max groaned, collapsing back onto the bed as she covered her face with her hands. I propped myself on my elbow, worrying my lip as I looked down at her.

"You ok?" I asked softly, drawing little circles against her stomach.

"I just… God, that was embarrassing," she replied, rubbing her face before letting her hands fall down against the bed, looking up at me. "Did you really mean what you said before? About how… How you knew you'd choose me?" I cleared my throat, my cheeks heating up as I looked away from her eyes, watching my finger run over her soft skin instead.

"I wasn't lying if that's what you're worried about," I replied softly, looking down at her still fully erect shaft as it rested against her lower belly. "I don't think that'll fit in your jeans. Do you want me to take care of it?" I looked back into her eyes, meeting a wide-eyed alpha as she stared back at me.

"T- take care of it?" She repeated, looking down as my hand slowly traveled over her tense stomach muscles before my fingers reached their desired destination. I wrapped my hand around her, squeezing gently as I met her gaze again.

"Yeah, like get you off," I said simply, not wanting to beat around the bush when Max had clearly never been in this position before.

"I- wow, I uh, you don't… wowser, I mean-" as adorable as her rambling was, I cut it off, giving her length a quick pump before running my thumb over the head, painting it with the bead of wetness that had started to form. She barely managed to hold back a low groan as her hips jumped.

"Yes or no," I said, watching the struggling going on behind Max's silvery gaze.

"Ok," she finally managed, looking up at me nervously. I grinned, leaning down to kiss her as I started stroking her shaft, feeling it throb against my palm. "Oh, fuck," she groaned, her hips bucking up into my touch, her eyes screwed shut as I started to go faster. We had told Chloe we'd be out in a minute, and I still had to clean myself up. But I wanted to enjoy this first. The way Max's muscles tensed and loosened with every stroke, the way she closed her eyes and gasped when it started to be too much, the way she looked up at me and then down at her lap, the way she pulsed and throbbed in my hand. I could feel her knot starting to form every time my hand found the base of her cock and I made sure to give it a tight squeeze each time before stroking back up to the head.

"Tori, I- fuck, I'm not gonna last much longer if you keep squeezing me like that," she panted out, gasping when I ignored her plea and squeezed the almost fully formed knot. The nickname made me grin even wider, my heart swelling at the way it sounded on her lips.

"Maybe I don't want you to last much longer," I purred, kissing at her neck as I picked up the pace. She keened, her entire body going tense as I nipped at her throat. I felt her length give a powerful pulse in my hand before she came, crying out as her release poured over her stomach and spilled onto my hand. I slowed my pace, continuing to stroke her length until the twitching and pulsing had ended, my hand covered in her release. I pulled away from her neck, making sure she was looking at me as I licked my hand clean of everything she'd given me, savoring the way her eyes widened and her throat bobbed as she watched me swallow.

"Did you just…" She stammered, watching me in a combination of disbelief and awe. I grinned, licking my lips.

"Mhm," I hummed, leaning down to kiss her again. I wondered if she could taste herself on my lips, but figured she'd just start sputtering if I asked. "How was that?"

"Do you even have to ask?" She asked, smiling up at me. I smiled back, my cheeks growing warm again. "It was amazing, way better than when I do it to myself." I laughed at that, shaking my head.

"Well, maybe we can come up with a reason why you won't have to do it by yourself so much anymore," I suggested, loving the way she shivered as I traced my finger down the middle of her chest.

"What about you?" She asked. "You didn't… I didn't get to…"

"Get me off?" I offered, grinning when she blushed and nodded. "Don't worry about that for right now. Let's just get dressed and go to dinner. Then, if you're still up for it, we can try going for round two." Max perked up at that, sitting up and smiling at me.

"Deal," she said, kissing me quickly before jumping out of bed to find her clothes. We got dressed fairly quickly, making sure to clean ourselves up a little before hand. After I was satisfied with my makeup and hair, we walked out together and I followed Max to Kate's room where she knocked on the door. Kate answered, smiling at us when she opened the door.

"Hey, you two, you ready to go get something to eat?" She asked, smiling sweetly at me. I wondered if she knew what Max and I had been doing. Chloe probably told her, but knowing what little I did about the other omega, she wouldn't say anything about it.

"So ready," Max replied, looking past Kate. "Where's Chloe?"

"Here," Chloe said, walking out of the bathroom, a much less smug look on her face than before. She almost looked hurt. "Had to take a leak. You guys ready?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm sorry about getting pissed before," Max said nervously, scratching the back of her neck. "I just got embarrassed. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." There was a pause as Chloe seemed to process Max's apology. But after a moment, she smirked, wrapping her arm around the smaller alpha and giving her a squeeze.

"No need to apologize, Maxi-pad," she replied, grinning. "I mean, I did sort of catch you when you were… a little tied up." I rolled my eyes, hiding my blush by looking away from the taller alpha. Max groaned, running her fingers through her hair.

"God, can we please just go get dinner?" She asked, blushing. I couldn't help smiling when I looked at her, resisting the urge to kiss her cheek. I settled for holding her hand instead, following as Kate and Chloe lead us out to Chloe's truck. We drove to the diner with loud music blasting from the truck's old speakers, the three other girls singing totally off key to every song that came on, smiling and laughing as they did so. Max turned to me, holding an invisible microphone in her hand as she dropped her voice a few octaves, looking into my eyes with a big grin on her face as she sang.

"Just one more night and the devil's got my soul, I need your love babe don't tell me 'no way.' Babe, I miss you so much more than words can say," she sang, banging her head to the music. I rolled my eyes, doing my best to hold back a smile when she winked at me and turned to face the road again, singing along with Chloe and Kate.

Maybe if things with Max and I went somewhere, I could be as ready to sing horribly to classic rock songs and smile like I didn't have anything else to worry about except remembering the lyrics. I wanted that. Wanted to feel carefree sometimes. Maybe Max could show me how.


End file.
